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 University's Tony Hopping slots the ball to an open goal. |
 University's winning goal action on Saturday |
 Dick Morgan reports... |
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| Date: 4-8-2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The fight for a semi-final placing in the Men's Intercity hockey competition continued on Saturday at the Gallagher Hockey Centre, with Old Boys helping their cause by downing Suburbs-Piako 8-4. Both sides started strong with useful periods of attack but play soon fluctuated between the two twenty-five yard lines as turnover of possession became an increasing problem. Suburbs were first to open the scoring after Dean Bell put a great pass to Brett Sanders to force a penalty corner which was converted by Karl Sanders. Old Boys fought back and Andrew Singers was awarded a penalty corner but was quickly broken down by Steven Mundy's sound defensive work. Another passing sequence between Bell and Brett Sanders led to another penalty corner but was cleared and counterattacked well by Old Boys through Ashley Burkhart. Old Boys moved freely up the field after a Clinton Smith tackle and a useful ball was sent from Burkhart to Aaron Barnsdall, but the attack was kept at bay by the Suburbs defence. The first half continued to be closely contested as both teams strived for ascendancy. Suburbs were awarded another penalty corner but Damon Hill's shot was well saved by Old Boys goal-keeper, Tane Apanui. Old Boys hit back with a penalty corner with Paul Rae's shot being put away by Andrew Singers, and soon after Old Boys were back on attack with another penalty corner, which was converted by Rae through a drag flick to give Old Boys the lead for the first time in the match. Shortly before half-time Suburbs wereawarded a penalty corner with Dean Bell slamming the ball into the goal for the sides to be deadlocked at 2-2. The second half saw a feast of goals with Old Boys scoring first after two rebounded shots at goal was finished off by Toby Schofield. Old Boys continued to pound the Suburbs defence and Burkhart slotted the ball into the net to increase the lead. Suburbs came back with a strong passing sequence through Mundy, Karl Sanders and Hill, but Old Boys Clinton Smith and Cliff Nightingale's solid defence clamped down on any potential threat. Play opened up for Old Boys when Barnsdall scored and then Old Boys continued the onslaught when Schofield put in goal number six. Old Boys were then awarded a penalty corner but was cleared by Hill for Suburbs to counterattack but to no avail. Karl Sanders broke through the Old Boys defence again but the movement could not be finished off by Dean Bell whose shot went wide. A penalty corner was awarded for Suburbs with Brett Sanders deflecting a shot from Hill into the goal to help reduce the deficit, but Old Boys continued to dominate and Rae added another goal after a well struck reverse stick shot. Moments later Rae finished off another goal for Old Boys, and just prior to full time Brett Sanders scored but all was too late for the Suburbs team. The win puts Old Boys into fourth equal position with Suburbs with two games remaining in the round. In other Men's Intercity games a Tony Hopping goal was sufficient for Eastside University to beat lowly ranked Kohekohe 1-0, and high scoring was a feature of the remaining games with Boots 'N' All Fraser Tech posting double figures for the second time in as many weeks by thrashing Pukekohe Indians 12-0 in Pukekohe while the local derby at the Mount produced a 7-0 win to Otumoetai over Bayleys Bar Mount. In Women's Intercity hockey, Fraser Tech beat Ultimate University 3-2, Rose and Thorn Te Awamutu beat Mount Maunganui 5-0, and in Pukekohe, Old Girls drew 1-1 with Onewhero-Pukekohe, and in Rotorua local team Aces held out Tokoroa 2-1. RESULTS: Intercity Men's "A" Division: Old Boys 8 (A. Singers, P. Rae 3, T. Schofield 2, A. Burkhart, A. Barnsdall) v Suburbs-Piako 4 (K. Sanders, D. Bell, B. Sanders 2); Eastside University 1 (T. Hopping) v Kohekohe 0; Boots 'N' All Fraser Tech 12 v Pukekohe Indians 0; Otumoetai 7 v Bayleys Bar Mount 0. Intercity Women's "A" Division: Boots 'N' All Fraser Tech 3 v Ultimate University 2; Rose and Thorn Te Awamutu 5 v Bayleys Bar Mount 0; Old Girls 1 v Onewhero-Pukekohe 1; Aces 2 v Tokoroa 1. |
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